Take citizen oath as ‘safe, lucky’ to be here

And yet, there they were, onstage singing their hearts out. It was an impromptu moment that stole the show.
Without the slightest hint of stage fright, eight-year-old Nusaiba Ameena Anwar, seven-year-old Nameera Adeela Anwar and four-year-old Nawwar Afaf Anwar stepped onstage and prepared to sing.
Mayor Asfour, along with Minister for Immigration, Citizenship, Migrant Services and Multicultural Affairs, Andrew Giles and Employment and Workplace Relations Minister, Tony Burke, absolutely loved the performance.
“It was a special moment to have the girls join me onstage on such an important day. Not only did the girls know all the words, they also knew how to handle a microphone!” the Mayor said.
It was a significant day as the City of Canterbury Bankstown welcomed 250 new citizens, from countries including Sierra Leone, India, Vietnam, Bangladesh, China and the UK. And everyone has a unique story to tell.
Dr Sheikh Anwar’s journey from Bangladesh to Australia began eight years ago when he arrived here with his wife Minhajun Nessa.
While working as an academic in Bangladesh, he realised he wanted to research in the field of medicine, focusing on cancer and came to Australia as a PHD student.
And once here he didn’t want to leave.
“Once I became a registered pharmacist, I wanted to stay in Australia. My wife loved Australia very much and she wanted to continue living here. So, we made the decision to stay here and our three girls were all born here,” he said.
“What do we love about Australia? One of the best things about living here is that we all feel safe. I don’t have to worry about my loved ones, the way I’d worry about family in Bangladesh.
“I know my wife is safe when she is working, and I know my children are safe at their school. We feel very lucky to be here.”